Kawasaki Ki 61-1 Hien vs Curtiss P-40L Warhawk

[Colin1]

Kawasaki Ki 61-1 Hien :Name: Curtiss P-40L Warhawk

29.33ft (8.94m) :Length: 31.16ft (9.49m)
39.37ft (12.00m) :Width: 37.3ft (11.35m)
12.14ft (3.70m) :Height: 10.92ft (3.32m)

367mph (590km/h; 319kts) :Max speed: 370mph (595km/h; 326kts)
1,118miles (1,800km) :Max range: 1,375miles (2,213km)
2,343ft/min (714m/min) :Rate of climb: 2,400ft/min (732m/min)
32,808ft (10,000m) :Service ceiling: 36,000ft (10,973 m)

1,102lbs (500Kgs) bombs :Hardpoints: 700lbs (318Kgs) bombs
5,798lbs (2,630kg) :Empty weight: 6,480lbs (2,939kg)
7,650lbs (3,470kg) :MTOW: 8,900lbs (4,037kg)

215.28sq ft; (20sq m) :Wing area: 236sq ft; (21.92sq m)
34.76lb/ft² (169.7kg/m²) :Wing loading: 35.1lb/ft² (171.5kg/m²)
0.15hp/lb ower/mass: 0.14hp/lb

1 x Kawasaki Ha-40 V12 @ 1,180hp owerplant: 1 x Packard Merlin V-1650-1 V12 @ 1,300 hp

2 x 20mm Ho-5 cannons in nose; 2 x 12.7mm Type 1 m/gs in wings :Armament: 4 or 6 x .50cal m/gs in wings

 

[SirWellington]

I like the Ki-61 more even though the P-40 seems to be statistically better.

 

[phatzo]

Wing loading and weight for turning and zoom climb. Ki-61 FTW

 

[Schweik]

Kawasaki Ki 61-1 Hien :Name: Curtiss P-40L Warhawk

29.33ft (8.94m) :Length: 31.16ft (9.49m)
39.37ft (12.00m) :Width: 37.3ft (11.35m)
12.14ft (3.70m) :Height: 10.92ft (3.32m)

367mph (590km/h; 319kts) :Max speed: 370mph (595km/h; 326kts)
1,118miles (1,800km) :Max range: 1,375miles (2,213km)
2,343ft/min (714m/min) :Rate of climb: 2,400ft/min (732m/min)
32,808ft (10,000m) :Service ceiling: 36,000ft (10,973 m)

1,102lbs (500Kgs) bombs :Hardpoints: 700lbs (318Kgs) bombs
5,798lbs (2,630kg) :Empty weight: 6,480lbs (2,939kg)
7,650lbs (3,470kg) :MTOW: 8,900lbs (4,037kg)

215.28sq ft; (20sq m) :Wing area: 236sq ft; (21.92sq m)
34.76lb/ft² (169.7kg/m²) :Wing loading: 35.1lb/ft² (171.5kg/m²)
0.15hp/lb ower/mass: 0.14hp/lb

1 x Kawasaki Ha-40 V12 @ 1,180hp owerplant: 1 x Packard Merlin V-1650-1 V12 @ 1,300 hp
2 x 20mm Ho-5 cannons in nose; 2 x 12.7mm Type 1 m/gs in wings :Armament: 4 or 6 x .50cal m/gs in wings

I thought I would update this with some more accurate information. I'm also going to include the Ha 140 (DB-605 equivalent) powered Ki-61-II KAI, and the P-40N which is the variant which probably encountered the K-61 the most in the PTO / CBI

The Ki-61-II KAI was almost a new plane, 22" longer, cut-down fuselage, bigger rudder bubble cockpit and the bigger engine. Only a few saw combat but I include it to show potential of the design (the other choice would be Ki-100 but I think it was not quite as promising as the DB 605 equivalent version).

A few corrections:
Ki-61-1
Original armament had no 20mm cannon, but consisted of 2 x 12.7mm HMG and 2 x 7.7mm LMG. The first to have the 20mm cannon was the Ki-61-Hei and Tai
I show a better initial climb rate for the Ki-61-1

P-40L
The P-40L was longer than shown above, had less range (carried less fuel than a P-40F), and had more power available than shown. It also carried a lot more bombs though bomb load of course depended on range. Most common when on F/B missions would be 1,000 lbs (two x 500 lb) but it was also common for shorter missions to carry three (1,500 lbs).

General
I showed loaded weight as that is more representative than 'mass gross' since the latter can include a bunch of bombs (particularly for American fighters)
I also showed WEP HP and some stats like climb rate at WEP. Max speed shown is usually based on WEP settings, speed a military power is lower for all 4 types.

Kawasaki Ki 61-1 Hien :Name: Ki-61-II Kai :Name Curtiss P-40L Warhawk :Name P-40N-5 Warhawk

29.33ft (8.94m) :Length 30.05' (9.16 m) :Length: 33.4 in (10.16m) :Length 33' 4" (10.16m)
39.37ft (12.00m) :Span: 37.3ft (11.38m) :Span: 37.3ft (11.38m) :Span 37' 4" (12m)
12.14ft (3.70m) :Height: 12.14ft (3.70m) :Height: 10.92ft (3.32m) :Height: 10.92ft (3.32m)

367mph (590km/h) :Max speed: 379mph* (610km/h) :Max speed: 370mph (595km/h) :Max speed: 378mph (595km/h)
1,118miles (1,800km) :Max range: 994 miles (1,600km) :Max range: 653 miles (1,100 with drop tanks) :Max range: 745 miles (~1,300 with drop tanks)
2,990ft/min (912m/min) :Rate of climb: 3,200ft/min (est**) :Rate of climb: 2,000ft/min :Rate of climb: 2,300ft/min
2,990ft/min (912m/min) :Rate of climb (WEP): 3,600ft/min (est**) :Rate of climb (WEP): 3,300ft/min (732m/min) :Rate of climb (WEP): 3,520ft/min
32,808ft (10,000m) :Service ceiling: 36,000ft (10,973 m) :Service ceiling: 34,000ft :Service ceiling: 38,000ft

1,102lbs (500Kgs) bombs :Hardpoints: 1,102lbs (500Kgs) bombs :Hardpoints: 1,500lbs (681Kgs) bombs :Hardpoints: 2,000lbs (908Kgs) bombs
5,798lbs (2,630kg) :Empty weight: 6,251lbs (2,840kg) :Empty weight: 6,340lbs (2,875kg) :Empty weight: 6,480lbs (2,939kg)
7,650lbs (3,470kg) :Loaded weight: 7,800lbs (4,037kg) :Loaded weight 8,020lbs (3,505kg :Loaded weight 7,730lbs (4,037kg
7,650lbs (3,470kg) :Gross weight: 8,333lbs (3,780kg) :Gross weight 8,950lbs (4,238kg :Gross weight 8,860lbs (4,037kg

215.28sq ft; (20sq m) :Wing area: 215sq ft***; (20sq m) :Wing area: 236sq ft; (21.92sq m) :Wing area: 236sq ft; (21.92sq m)
34.76lb/ft² (169.7kg/m²) :Wing loading: 36.27lb/ft² :Wing loading: 33.9lb/ft² (171.5kg/m²) :Wing loading: 31.3lb/ft² (159.9kg/m²)
0.15hp/lb : Power/mass: 0.19hp/lb : Power/mass: 0.16hp/lb (18hp/lb at WEP) : Power/mass: 0.16hp/lb (17hp/lb at WEP)

Kawasaki Ha-40 V12 @ 1,180hp : Powerplant: Ha-140 @ 1,500 hp : Powerplant: Packard V-1650-1 V12 @ 1,435 hp : Powerplant: Allison V-1710-115 V12 @ 1,360 hp

2 x 12.7mm HMG; 2 x 7.7mm LMG wings :Armament: 2 x 20mm in body, 2 x 7.7mm in wings Armament: 4 x .50cal m/gs in wings Armament: 4 or 6 x .50cal m/gs in wings

I thought of bringing this up because in reading the Osprey book about the 49th FG I ran across this interesting quote by US Ace Robert DeHaven, who flew the P-40 and later the P-38. He had an encounter with Ki-61s and wanted his commanders to know his assessment of it vis a vis the P-40N he was flying. I believe he was flying a P-40N-5 which is the 'hot rod' variant.

This is from pages 86-87 of the book 49th Fighter Group, Aces of the Pacific. The encounter was on January 2, 1944 over Saidor in New Guinea. P-40s of the 7th FS, 49th FG were escorting A-20s on a bombing run when they sited a group of 9 x Ki-48 "Lily" Japanese bombers escorted by 34 x fighters, a mix of Ki-43 and Ki-61 types.

Rather than transcribe and be accused of leaving something out, I attached a photo of the page in question.

The synopsis of what he said though is that the P-40N was able to out climb, out dive, and out turn the Ki-61 he encountered. Now he was flying the fastest P-40N variant, he was an Ace, and we don't know what was going on with the Ki-61 unit he encountered, or even if his claim was real. Or if he was even fighting with a Ki-61 at all it might have been Ki-43. If anyone knows of Japanese records for that day in New Guinea or even what units were stationed there in Jan 1944 I'd love to know.

Certainly not definitive in any way. But it's interesting as a data point.



* I believe this is a military power rating, not any kind of WEP. I don't know if the Ha 140 included water injection etc. but obviously the DB 605 did and that would have increased speed etc.
** I couldn't find climb rate stats for the KI-61-II
*** The original Ki-6I-II had a 10% biggr wing but they had problems with it so reverted to the original wing.

 

[Schweik]

I'm also not certain if the Ha 140 on the Ki-61-II was equivalent to a DB 605 or if it was just an uprated 601 or somewhere in between...?